The C. William Bermingham Innovation Award was founded in 2012 to recognize the innovative spirit of Bill Bermingham, DFI past president, and his contributions to DFI and the deep foundations industry. The award encourages and recognizes innovative contributions to deep foundation technology.

Nominees can be an individual, team or company who have contributed to the advancement of the deep foundations industry by introducing a new and unique practice including means and methods, design procedures, equipment or materials

Initial commercial application of the innovation must have been within 10 years prior to the nomination deadline; the innovation must have been used in the deep foundations industry in the past three years

The nominee can be in an active job position or retired

Nominations can be posthumous

Nominees do not have to be DFI members

Anyone can nominate a candidate

Nomination Package

One-page summary of the innovation's development and use

If applicable, up to 10 high-resolution digital images of the innovation being utilized

Completed nomination form

Selection Criteria
Consideration given to originality and timeliness of innovation, impact and value of innovation, and sustainability of innovation.

Selection Process
The committee rates the nominees in preferential order and reports the results of their nominee ratings to the DFI president and executive director indicating the selected winner.

Committee
The C. William Bermingham Award Judging Committee is an anonymous judging committee selected by the appointed committee chair and the DFI president. A representative of Bermingham Foundation Solutions serves on the judging committee. Members who have had direct involvement with nominated innovations are removed from the judging/voting process.

Award Information

A selection each year is not mandatory.

The award is presented to the recipient by a representative of Bermingham Foundation Solutions or a member of the DFI Board of Trustees at the Awards Banquet held during the Annual Conference on Deep Foundations.

The winner receives a monetary prize (starting at $5,000) provided annually by Bermingham Investments and a plaque. The prize is shared by all recipients or they may opt to provide all or a portion of winnings to the DFI Educational Trust. Posthumous awards are donated to the DFI Educational Trust in the winner's name.

Additional plaques are available at cost at the winner's request.

The winner's name is inscribed on a permanent plaque of all recipients, which is displayed at each Annual Conference.